Today at around noon I will be in a vehicle to begin my very first Ragnar relay race along the Wasatch Back of Utah. So many emotions run through your body when a race come up, but this one is different because I don’t know what to expect. I’m running Ragnar and am totally clueless to what will happen. Because I don’t know what will be happening, I figured I would share my before the experience story and see if this is how it all goes down.
Thanksgiving last year I was sitting by my wife’s uncle talking about doing a Ragnar relay race. That is how I got added to this team. After trying to get my brother and sister-in-law to do the race with me, I ended up being with two of her uncles and a friend from work.
Here is what I know:
- You have a full team of 12—six people in each vehicle.
- Each person is assigned three legs of the race.
- I will be runner 11, which means I run legs 11, 23, and 35. A total of 16.1 miles.
Basically, that’s what I know. So I guess the first six runners are going to be at the race starting around 7:00 am today. They will run and we meet up with them for a transfer spot. Do we have a baton or something to pass the next runner?
My first run will be a 4.4 mile run. They say that there is van support (meaning people in the van are there to cheer you on), but I don’t get that during this portion. Thankfully this leg is a pretty basic downhill run.
Honestly, I think this will be a simple run for me. I run plenty and think that this portion shouldn’t be an issue, but a good warm up for what’s to come. I am excited, but hoping the time isn’t too hot, but I think I should be good.
The second leg now makes me nervous. I thought I had looked at it before, but I guess I didn’t realize it was such an uphill run. Not only is it uphill, but it’s done in the middle of the night and 9.7 miles long.
I have been getting a 10 mile run in each week to prepare for this. But as far as the uphill run I know this is going to slow me down, but no turning back now.
After talking a someone that has done this leg before they told me that this was their favorite run. It’s in the middle of the night which you rarely get the chance to do. Running along Echo Reservoir with the light of the moon will be a pretty cool experience…I hope.
Thankfully, I get a break again after this run, but I know I will probably be sore and stiff from such a long, late night run. I will bring my foot roller to make sure that my foot doesn’t cramp up. But when it comes to running this amount I know I can do it and once I get there it’ll be fine.
Then, for my last leg, I will run two miles. The entire thing is downhill after running so much uphill I am sure this will be refreshing.
It’ll be interesting to do this last two miles because the entire time I get van support. Do I think I will want that? Not really. I just want to have my headphones in, listen to my music, and be able to just push through. We’ll see what happens though.
This will be a fun new experience and can’t wait to be done with it. For me, I just want to know all the details. Apparently you don’t sleep, but you could. Just not a lot of time to really get any sleep in. Then you bring food to eat between runs.
As long as I finish, that’s all I care about. We aren’t trying to win, but to be with five other people and just getting to know each other I guess. What you do between runs while waiting, I don’t know. Really, I want to know it all and I can’t wait to finally experience it for myself.
